Difference
by DarkVampire111
Summary: Lex loved Clark with all his heart. He hated Kal just as much. Yes, there's a difference.With a glance Lex can tell which he's dealing with even if they share a body.Tess convinced herself it's normal. She got ruthless and embraced things Lex can't, like Kal. Earth-2!
1. Chapter 1

**Difference**

 _DC or Marvel: Clark Luthor, Lex Luthor and all other characters_

I was saddened by how little Clark Luthor and Earth-2 are explored when they are so interesting! Very Nature-Nurture interesting! I wanted to look at what must have happened to a sweet little boy from Krypton in Lionel's care and what could have been.

* * *

The tires made that distinct sound of rubber rolling fast over pavement mixed with wind gliding over the spotless car. The tinted windows let in just enough light without letting it venture into too much light for the irritating position of the afternoon sun. Lex watched lazily as the world of tall buildings drifted by in a haze of muted color and the trash littering the streets was hardly visible or distinguishable. One hand rubbed circles into the tight stretched leather of the built in armrest on the side of the limo while his other carded slowly through the dark hair of the head resting on his leg.

Clark was not sleeping, he knew that from the way he was breathing. There was relaxation on the surface, but under the layers was the tight coil of dread they both always felt wind up like a clock the closer they came to Luthor Corp. The glass and metal monster was a subject of dread for everyone, including the Luthor heirs; contrary to everything Lane and Queen said. The public saw the faces they wanted them to, not the limo ride before they stepped into the flashes of a camera, not the siblings alone and clinging to each other for what little sanity there was left.

No one knew the Luthor children like the Luthor children, not even Lionel. They were a breed all their own with a bond soldiers in the trenches probably had; after all, they were just trying to keep each other alive for another day. No one else would look out for them so there was nothing else they could do. Their father tried to pit them against each other every second of every day, and at times it worked, or it had when they were younger and did not understand how vital they were to each other. Now they just played the games, public games of chess with living pieces, played at infighting that none of them felt because they were bonded too much to let that go. The barbs did not hurt because they were lies.

Clark's position on the seat was obvious enough of his distress; his long legs were curled up awkwardly on the seat that was a little too narrow for his large frame to fit that way, but the effort to curl into a ball was there. Clark might have hated this trip more than Lex or Tess. It was worse for him, but in a way, knowing how much worse it was for Clark made it just as bad for them since they could do nothing but watch.

The two blood Luthor's dealt with that in their own ways.

Tess got sadistic, not that Lex hadn't, but hers was different. Lex put on masks and took them off, but she tried to become all her masks. Lex put his feelings into neatly labeled boxes to keep them controlled while the environment spun out of control; Tess focused on trying to control her environment rather than control herself to fit the environment. They could both control themselves but she spun out more often than he did because he knew he could not control the world, only his responses. Tess worked hard trying to convince herself that this was their normal. She got ruthless and embraced things Lex could not, such as Kal.

Lex loved Clark with all his heart. He hated Kal just as much. And yes, there was a difference between the two.

Other people could not see it but Lex had always been able to see it the moment it happened, the moment Clark faded into the background to make room for the sickening and dominant Kal to step in. Clark always went away the moment their father entered a room. Lex watch the shift in his eyes each morning for years, watched his brother slip and Kal emerge with a little blink and shift in posture. With only a glance, Lex could always tell which one of them he was dealing with.

Somehow he doubted that their father could, though he was sure the old man knew there was a different part of Clark Luthor that he never saw.

Of late, Clark surfaced less and less. Lex hated Kal for that. He hated his father too, more, because his father created Kal with his endless stunts to keep a hold over something humans had no business touching. Clark was a gift, Tess always said, and he _was_ , but not the way they understood. Clark was an enigma, innocence in a dark world. The fact that he held onto goodness was what made him a gift. Kal was what came when innocence was lost to Red K, blue, silver, green, and gold Kryptonite torture.

Kal was what emerged when Clark couldn't endure and stay sane. Kal was what came of putting a Red K ring on Clark's hand for months until he was so lost he did not know himself. It was green or sometimes blue torture that left his body shaken and weak. It was exposing him to silver and locking him up with his delusions for days just to see what would happen; worse, throwing in people their father wanted dead just to see how far Clark's sanity had gone. When Clark came out the other side of that eventually it was not enough to wash the blood off his hands. Kal bloomed under that and Lionel's creation took up a place inside that gentle, kind mind, probably because anything else would have made Clark utterly, hopelessly insane.

Clark needed Kal to stay alive. That did not mean Lex could ever like it.

He could never hate Clark for Kal, he understood completely, always would. He could not have grown up the way he had, with a kid younger than he was, crawling into his bed at night when the rest of the house was asleep, shaking or crying after some scientist had tested a child beyond what should have been done to an adult. The scientists usually vanished forever once they made a mistake or learned too much for Lionel, but new ones always came along. Sometimes, even as old as he was now, grown up by most standards, Clark still sneaked into his room. He might not cry anymore but the silence and blank eyes were telling enough. All Lex could do was run his fingers through that thick hair over and over again, willing it to have the power to make everything go away.

It was like a blow to the chest when the limo lurched to a stop. They all hated that stop, the one that signaled the ride ending and the jaws of the outside world suddenly much closer. If Lex listened hard enough he could hear the gnashing of teeth and the guttural growls of the hell waiting beyond the door. He could not help shivering, cringing when the driver buzzed the intercom to blandly tell them they had arrived.

Clark eased into a sitting position, uncurling with a vulnerable, hopeless look on his face.

Lex reach for the door but was stopped by a hand on his, "Lex," the voice was tentative, wavering, "I love you. I'm glad I've had you for a brother all these years. You and Tess get me through. I don't know if you really understand how much you mean to me."

Looking into those eyes was shattering and the lump of rock suddenly at home in his throat made it impossible to do anything but nod and squeeze those thick fingers, but he had to say something, "You... deserve so much better. I wish..."

Clark pulled him into a tender hug, just holding on, and Lex could do nothing but cling to those strong shoulders. And what was this confession about? Those words almost sounded like goodbye. What exactly did Clark know that he did not? If only he had enough courage to ask! If only he was strong enough to find out why Clark looked like he was walking to a funeral or his own execution, but he was not that kind of strong. Just like he never asked what the scientists did behind huge metal doors that locked like a bank vault, instead he found out for himself when one of them got sloppy a left the paperwork on the table.

"I don't know what to do." Lex's words surprised him, unsure if he thought before he said them, or even just how far that admission went.

"I know. It's ok. It's not your fault, it never has been. You do everything you can, and that's more than enough." The words were so soft, so full of earnest comfort.

Lex choked and he refused to admit it had been on a sob, "Clark."

Clark pulled away, hardness slithering over his posture even though Kal had not risen forth yet, "We have to go now. He'll be waiting."

Lex knew that too, so he pulled on a blank face and eased out the car door. As expected, he was already seeing stars from the camera flashes but he stepped onto the curb like he could actually see, shoving his hands into his pants pockets, staring down those dancing lights. Clark eased out behind him, a cold steel smile already on his lips, eyes darker and fully Kal's. Kal looked over the small crowd like a wolf taking inventory of a sheep herd, a very Lionel sort of look, and that almost made Lex shiver and hurry to distance himself. Rather than flee, Lex turned his lips up in a slight, mysterious, camera ready smile that was most common for him.

"Any comment on the latest chemical spill in the LuthorCorp plant in Jersey?" That voice was unmistakably Lois Lane's even if he could see no faces past the white spots. A turn of his head made it possible to actually see her and even make out a silent blonde beside her, it wasn't Kat Grant either. Oliver followed her like a puppy.

The lack of answer made her keep going, "Or maybe the claims that LuthorCorp has been pulling subjects from Belle Reeve to enter programs of unknown locations, purpose, or legality?"

Clark turned his eyes to Lane and gave her a wide, toothy smile that was charming though very dangerous, "We have no comment at this time, and you should really find a few facts before you throw questions around, Ms. Lane." They owned the newspaper anyway so they could kill any story she tried to put out.

They moved forward but Lane followed them much farther than any of the others dared, "What about the recent activity in the Luthor preserved caves in Smallville?"

Kal turned suddenly on his heel, facing the woman, close, in her personal space, giving her his most menacing smile, the one where his eyes glowed just a little, the one that was more than a threat but a promise of pain, "No comment. Though," he intentionally swept her body with his eyes, "I approve of that dress. And, hey, Oliver!" He shot a nearly, though not quite friendly look to the man glued protectively to his girlfriend. Or were they engaged now?

The flint in Oliver's eyes did not soften, but sadness welled in along the edges, "Clark. Lex."

"We should go for drinks some time! It's been too long! You could bring Lois." Kal was playing friendly, teasing and prodding because he could, threatening the way only a Luthor would understand.

"Yeah, do some catching up." Even the tone was enough to say that they would not ever be mixing socially without it being some event that made it mandatory.

"Like hell!" Loise hissed.

That just encouraged a pleased, malevolent smile from Kal before he turned away. People always assumed Clark was the happier of the Luthor children because he smiled quite often but they just did not understand that smile was a defense, a mask, a threat, and ploy to keep people from looking too deep. The brothers moved ahead and marched with all bravado, superiority, and entitled power a Luthor should through the glass doors.

It was chilled inside, more than the fall weather ever called for, but that was the way of the company, never letting anyone be comfortable. The colors, decoration, chairs, nothing in the building was warm or comfortable. None of that would be right for their image. Lex always wore his suit jacked inside to ward off that cold along with his vest and tie. Clark rarely had his jacket or tie, but he usually had the vest, top button of the dress shirt undone to project his carefree image just a bit. Lex suspected he did it mostly to make Lex stand out as the responsible, respectable one so it would be clear that he would be the one taking over once Lionel was gone. The heir and the spare played out in clothing habits.

It was a long five hours before they were able to leave the building. Lex felt relatively sick to his stomach, as he expected Kal might as well considering the ring their father had worn. He only touched Clark when it would hurt him, not out of affection, and Lionel had been full of showy gestures; rubbing Clark's shoulders every time he passed round the table full of men and women of the company. Clark never flinched but Lex watched to color drain from him each time, the ring glowing ominously. It had been nothing new, not even anything new in the company, so why did there seem to be a looming sense of foreboding?

Trying to shake it off, Lex walked shoulder to shoulder with Clark, though he had yet to come down from Kal's control. Even so, Lex felt the need to offer support of some kind even if it was not grand. The reporters were still up front, not allowed into the parking garage even if they did occasionally slip in somehow. It was quiet, even with the staccato clacking of twin expensive shoes hitting pavement. The cement walls kept it rather cool even in the summer but it was not as cold as the building.

"That went well, don't you think?" Kal asked airily, "Though I think Dad's got plans to get rid of that old bat on your side of the table. Can't say I disagree, her acting like she's on the moral high ground when she works for _us_. Isn't it in the manual that we do whatever it takes to make money? Like we're Wayne Enterprise or something?" Kal laughed his dark chuckle that usually made Lex scoot away for self preservation sake.

It was always uncomfortable whenever Kal was around, showing off his sadistic streak like it was perfectly normal. To date, he had never hurt any of them, never touched a Luthor more than enough to bruising, which that amount of control was just as frightening as when he put a fist through the hood of the car, but Lex was never sure when that might change. It made a tingle of fear run up his spine every time even though it felt like betrayal to even think of Clark hurting him, the thought was there.

He wished Clark would come back now that they were alone. Tess might not mind the darker side of their brother but they all knew Lex had little taste for Kal. Kal enjoyed making his brother cringe at the sadistic tendencies Clark did not possess. They all knew how Lex felt about Kal, it was no secret, and Kal generally shared the feeling, implying he cared little for Lex and his squeamish, cowardly tactics. The only time their fighting and rivalry was real was when Kal was in control. They hated each other even if they worked well together. It was so complicated.

The air smelled like trapped city and cars. Going out the back way was really so much better than leaving themselves open for more reporters. News did travel, and LuthorCorp had done quite a bit of shady dealings in recent months. It was very likely people thought there might be blood in the water, which might be true if they were any other company. Nothing as trivial as suspected illegal activity would touch them. Lionel would find a way to pin it on his children if anything ever came to that anyway.

An engine shifted to life somewhere on the level and some instinct in Lex had him glancing toward one of the many elevator shafts scattered around every floor. Modern architecture factored in things like convenience. He breathed just a little easier knowing one was very close just in case they needed to, say escape Lois and her assault and battery of questions. The sound came closer, moving in their direction, and Lex was eyeing the lift with greater interest. It was probably nothing, just his nerves being on edge.

His sharp eyes fell on the black car crawling around the corner and he nearly jumped when the door opened, letting a masked man out like this was some kind of movie, Godfather, maybe. Lex had never even watched it but he really thought there might be something in there like this, what with a gun swinging into full view. Instinct told him to run for the elevator as the mussel came around to point at him, his feet did not get the message even though the rest of his body was actually twitching with need to get away.

A warning shot was loud, so very loud, and very close to Lex's head. It was then that hands were on him, pushing hard, almost throwing him toward the elevator. That lean back and broad shoulders were suddenly all he could see, the dark paisley pattern of Clark's vest encompassing his vision, hearing the way that thick chest expanded with a deep breath. While he felt suddenly protected by the impenetrable force of his brother, his entire system was still in a panic. Clark must have surfaced, Kal would never defend him, Kal would never care, and Kal would let Lex take a bullet. Lex's fingers felt clumsy when he fumbled at the button, jumping a foot when the next shot rang out, he must have pushed the button ten times but he just kept pressing frantically, gasping for air that did not exist.

Clark's body jolted with the impact of the blow. There would be a bruise most likely, a little reminder of what had happened. Clark pressed back, almost plastering Lex to the doors, big hands braced on either wall of the doorway like he needed to hold it up. Thick fingers twitched and convulsed on the wall but surprisingly did not crack the gray cement.

A second, no, third shot rocked his ears, covering the ding of the elevator doors that had taken a lifetime to open. Lex nearly fell inside, ducking to the side where a wall would protect him, hunched in on himself and he could push the buttons the second Clark was inside. Clark staggered back, colliding dramatically with the wall, already working the angle they would have no choice but to portray. Once they were safe they would announce an attempt on their lives, saying how glad they both were they had the foresight to wear bulletproof vests, but Clark would need to act like the impact cracked a rib or something of that nature, wear a sling for a while. It would work even if Clark would have to do some acting to pull it off. Luthor's were good at that.

Lex mashed the button to close the doors with honest desperation, praying they would move faster. A bullet slammed into the wall beside Clark's head as he slid down the wall like he was in too much pain to stand on his own, a move timed just right to avoid being hit. Lex would almost believe it had been luck if he did not know how fast Clark could move. There was a camera so they would have to be careful. A loud thump was signal to another shot hitting the doors as they mercifully closed. Lex would need to give Clark his jacket to help hide the lack of blood, he was already shrugging out of it as he crouched on the floor.

"Clark... who were they?"

"Lex..." Clark's teeth were gritted, brows drawn together in pained strain, his eyes that dark shade they always were when it was Kal but open in a way only Clark's were.

Lex blinked, looking more intently, taken back because... this was something he had never seen. It was Clark, but with Kal mingled in. He had never in all his days seen that, seen the distinct aspects of the two mingled in a strange twine. For just a split second he wondered which one had shielded him, if... both of them had; if in that desperate moment, Clark had risen, but Kal had allowed it without leaving; if they had made a collective choice. Why? Why would Kal go along for the ride, unless Clark needed him? Who was he _really_ looking at? Clark or Kal? He had never been unsure before.

A shuddering breath brought him away from his musing and the broken whine pulled him closer like a magnetism, "Clark? What's wrong?" There was no sound on the feed, they could talk freely.

Clark did not answer, he just kept gasping like breathing was difficult, eyes nearly rolling, and he made a broken sound. It was like he was honestly in pain, but that was not possible. Lex's eyes dropped to Clark's chest and a jolt shot through him of far more potent terror than facing down a gun had brought. The vest was shiny, wet, and the white shirt was creeping red. His hands shot out unbidden to touch and he felt the warm stickiness.

"Oh God!" His own chest constricted, the entire world cracking around him, "No!" He denied it fiercely as if will alone would make it a lie.

He should have seen there was something wrong, it should have been clear the way Clark's sure feet staggered, the desperation to get to the wall and lean on it had been real. He should have seen but he just never guessed it could be more than an act. The way Clark had been holding the door frame, bracing for... for another impact.

"Oh God!" Bracing for another bullet, bracing to keep himself from hitting his knees, bracing to take more so Lex would not be hit. Playing the part of a shield until the doors could be opened. That was why they were both there, Kal was stronger than Clark but Clark would never leave Lex. It almost made a twisted sort of sense even though he was not sure it did. He could not grasp why Kal would do such a thing but it did not matter just now.

Kal had been weakened by the ring but it should not have lasted this long, it never lasted long after he was away from it. Was there more somewhere in the garage? He found himself looking to that bullet that missed Clark's head with dawning horror, suddenly aware it really did miss by luck. There was a faint green glow coming from the tiny hole and the world broke around Lex even more.

Either the lift was lined in Kryptonite... or the bullets were. No one knew about Clark's weakness, at least no one living save the Luthor children and their father. Meaning this could only have been done by two people and Lex had an awful idea which one. The only real question was which of them had been the real target. Had Lionel intended to kill Clark? Was he just trying to make sure the bullets got to Lex if Clark was too close? Or was it a test to see... if Clark _would_ save Lex at the cost of his own life?

"Clark, Clark!" Lex was petting Clark's face, smearing blood over that once tan skin that was quickly fading white, his hands unable to hold still, traveling everywhere in a wild, unmatched sort of desperation, "Hang on, please, please, please, we'll get you help, I promise, you'll be fine, just hang on!" Lex was shaking as badly as Clark if not worse. "It's going to be fine!"

Two bullets in the chest. God! Two bullets! There was no word that could describe what Lex was feeling, nothing in all the languages he knew seemed strong enough. They were inside his body, where Lex could not reach, only see the slight glow and the darkening of the veins around his chest. If he could reach them he might make it stop but he had nothing to dig them out and he was afraid what damage he might do if he tried.

This was earth shattering, life changing horror. It was the worst thing that had ever happened. His vision started to swim and he could not tell if it was because of tears starting to build or just the force of grief. Clark could be dying, slipping away and all he could do to stop it was press his thousand dollar coat to the wounds and beg God to hear a prayer just this once. He did not know if God had anything to do with a Luthor but he really had to try!

"Lex..." Clark's eyes were still that uncanny mixture of the two personas, a large hand fumbling, gripping Lex's shoulder, and the grip was weak enough to frighten Lex even more. Clark was not getting enough air, it was obvious by the gasps. It must have been too hard to speak but those trembling lips still breathed, "Lex, s'okay."

Tears splattered onto Clark's chin and his throat and that was how he realized dizzily that he was crying. He could see the light going out, dimming in those green eyes. Nothing in the world could have made him more desperate. There was no way to stop himself from curling his body around his brother as best as he could without moving him too much. "Clark, don't leave me, stay with me! _Clark, stay with me!_ "

The elevator doors swished open to the main lobby, the highest floor this one would reach, which seemed to be where Lex's desperate clawing had told it to go. Eyes turned in boredom but they widened once the sight registered to them what they were seeing. He had no idea who most of them were. A secretary and who knew what else. Higher brain function was lagging at best, and worst ground to an absolute halt. He knew he must have looked like a wild animal but he could not care.

"Help! Call our doctor! He's been shot!" Lex told the room, babbling deliriously, "He's been shot! Do something, get on the phone!" He snarled like a rabid dog at the receptionist but it was not gratifying to see her jump, "Get our doctor! He's-!" It did not matter if he sounded weak, if his voice was cracking. "We have to get him to the helipad!" He turned his attention to the guards just standing and staring. "Now!"

It was one of the people in the lobby that moved first, swiftly crouching down on CLark's other side. The guards sort of trailed behind like they wanted nothing in the world to do with one or potentially two injured Luthors. Maybe they hoped if they were slow enough someone would bleed to death and rid the world of a threat. The first man was checking Clark over like a professional, checking his eyes, lifting the jacket to look at the damage, tapping a shoulder and calling out Clark's name to try gaining a response. Only then did Lex realize it was Queen. He guessed he remembered Queen Industries was supposed to meet their father for something.

Clark's breathing was labored and sounded more like a drowning man than a viral Kryptonian, his eyes rolling with inability to focus.

"He needs an ambulance, now!" Oliver locked eyes with Lex.

All he could do was frantically shake his head, "There's no time! He doesn't have that long! He needs a doctor that knows his health problems without looking at a chart! He has special health risks! He needs our doctors! The helipad is faster than wheels." Lex was barely breathing himself, verging strongly on a full blown panic attack. All he knew was that Clark could never go to a normal hospital, he needed more than an ER. "Help me get him there, please!" And it was as far from a command as a Luthor could get to outright begging, their ancestors would be rolling in their graves.

It was almost shocking when Oliver did, nearly picking Clark up alone, slinging one of those normally strong arms over his shoulders to support a limp body. "This is not the way he should be moved," Oliver growled, "but we don't have a stretcher. Grab his arm, Lex, and you two idiots! Grab his legs! Let's go!"

Oliver was usually almost quiet about his intensity, almost calm about his anger, but he was commanding when he wished to be. Something about him could inspire loyalty. The guards jumped to act the way they had not before and it could have been because of the tone or the fact that it was not the spawn of Satan giving it, it might never be clear. They moved as gracefully as a newborn but they were making it into the elevator that would take them all the way up so that was good. It was something.

"Hang in there, Clark!" Oliver soothed, and Clark actually looked at him for a minute.

Maybe he had just realized who was with them but he lacked the will to care for long. It was clear he was in agony, hurting the way anyone that had been shot would with the added torture of being poisoned with something as bad as acid burns or nerve gas or some other horrific invention. Every tiny jostle had that strong jaw working, adams apple bobbing with effort to keep quiet. The quiet moans were telling considering how quiet Clark had learned to be when he was in pain.

Every second was a torture all its own, a second more that Lex was helpless to make anything better, another minute Clark might not have if they did not get him help. When the doors opened to the roof it was like a gift, even more so when a pilot was coming out another set of doors. That receptionist must actually have made a call before she also probably called their father and also the press. He would kiss her and give her a raise if he ever thought of her again.

They managed to get Clark inside without moving him too much or too harshly. Though he was unsure how it happened, Clark's upper body ended up in Lex's lap while his legs were draped over Oliver's and it somehow did not seem in question that Queen would be going with them. That might not be strictly wise in the long run depending on how much a non-relative could learn about Clark but he did not have the emotional strength to refuse to allow it. If the man was willing to help not one but two Luthors it was sure a better offer would not come along.

They were in the air before it could be stopped anyway. Lex found he did not mind, might even feel grateful for the support. It was strange to take solace in someone he once hated so deeply. Interesting how lives and perceptions could change with just a little insight. Oliver did not look at them the way Lois did, nor even the rest of the world. Hate was a constant, a deserved constant in the life of anyone connected to Lionel, but Oliver knew things about them most never saw. Oliver Queen imparted a simply human decency to them most could not. It started years before when they had all been younger and the bitter blonde got a peek into the daily life of Luthor offspring and things had never been the same after.

Clark was fighting to breathe, each breath as painful or worse than the last, but it did not stop him from reaching up and wiping away tears Lex was unaware were falling down his cheeks. "S'okay, Lex."

"Why did you do that?" Lex was a little startled by just how broken he sounded, like he was experiencing puberty all over again, "Why? Why did you do it!"

Clark smiled and it looked like it took so much energy out of him, "Couldn't help it. You're my brother." There was still that mixture of those personalities and it put Lex off his usually sure feet.

Clark suddenly tried to sit up, eyes frantic as his breathing took on a seemingly new difficulty, leaving him gasping and sounding like he was breathing through a straw. Oliver kept his hands on Clark's chest, the medical pads of gauze red rather than white, Oliver's fingers just as stained as Lex's, but he had never seen the other man pull out the First Aid kit, never noticed him putting pressure on the bleeding chest right in front of him.

Lex worked to make Clark more comfortable, propped him up more with the use of his body. It put him even closer to his brother, let him hold him more tightly and holding him was comforting. "Stay with me, Clark! Promise you'll stay with me! Promise! Please! I'll hunt them down, I swear, they'll never get near you again!"

"Lex...you don't... need to... w-" A horrible, painful sounding cough shook them both but Clark almost breathed better after though not enough.

"Promise, promise, promise, promise!" Lex repeated it over and over like a prayer of supplication, "I'll never let you go! You have to understand that! If you try to leave I'll bring you back! Then I'll kill you for trying and bring you back again!"

Clark almost smiled, "Only you... would... try to... to threaten me...I... yes...I'll..." He should not be talking, not in his condition but that would not stop Lex from babbling.

"I'm older than you! I can make you!" He could never make Clark do anything but he had always been able to bluff a little boy into believing him, "You are never allowed to leave and you're never allowed to do this again! Do you hear me? I'm the big brother! I'm supposed to protect you! You pushed me away! You did it on purpose! You just stood there and let them! Just like you always do! You always do this!" Lex was not in control anymore, clinging to his brother like he could will it away, "You always challenge him so he focuses on you and not us! You push when you know he'll hurt you! Just like when you set fire to his desk when we were kids so he wouldn't know what Tess and I did! You burned the evidence and took the fall and we let you because we were too afraid to do anything! I'm sorry, I can't let you leave, I can't let you get hurt again! After this, we can all run away! An island somewhere! With the three of us working together, he'll never find us!"

"Shhh..." Clark lifted a badly shaking hand to cup the back of Lex's head, "Lex..." But the hand fell away and those green eyes closed, body going slack.

The world crashed, leaving Lex in a free fall, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He was petting that perfect face again, begging with his whole being. "You can't go!"

"His heart is still beating." Oliver had to say it more than once for Lex to really hear it. "He's hanging on."


	2. Chapter 2

Footage from the cameras had leaked to the media rather swiftly, proof of what happened, of what nearly happened. Proof of what Clark had done, how he saved the life of his brother. Some late night host had publicly snarked that it was _almost heroic_ considering the act was made by a Luthor in defense of a Luthor along with comparing them to sharks. The running joke after that had been Clark's adoptive status. No one usually brought up the adoption, more so considering Lionel would almost have been doing a good deed by adopting a poor orphan. Now it was the running joke of the nightly news.

Someone else had gone so far as to suggest Clark had been adopted just so they would have a ready bodyguard on hand at most times. People made jokes about what had happened and Lex hated them all for it. It was not funny! They had not seen the pain in those green eyes, had no watch helplessly as he began to slip away. They had not felt helpless and lost.

Publicly, Clark was still considered in critical condition but the removal of the bullets had drastically improved the situation. The wounds were healing but no one was allowed to know that. Even Oliver did not fully know and he had been closer to the situation than most, staying several hours, staying through the surgery. Once they knew the bullets were out Tess and Lex breathed easier but Oliver did not have the knowledge to feel so much more at ease. It was strange to see anyone but the two of them worrying over their brother, it was surreal.

They talked in a huddle, excluding Oliver to enter their own world. Both knew who was responsible for what had been done but the why was yet to be revealed. Kryptonite bullets were not something to be happened upon, it was only acquired, only created for a reason. It was equally telling that Lionel had not shown up at the mansion yet, though it was sure that he would soon enough. They needed to get rid of their guest as tactfully and kindly as possible.

Together, as a united front they thanked Oliver and tried to offer him money as payment, tried to give him cars and were turned down as flat as roadkill. Tess tried for seduction and that went over with even less grace regardless of how polite the gritted words of rebuff had been. In her red dress, silk glinting in the light of stained glass windows, red head of glossy uniform curls still unruffled from a sleepless night she might have seemed more succubus than human anyway. It would not have been the first time she had been called that, nor even the Luthor boys called an incubus. Out of options and getting desperate Lex had nearly tried to flirt himself before deciding against that, offering some business propositions instead.

Oliver was incensed and quietly livid, "I didn't help so I could get in on some new venture!"

Tess and Lex must have given him the same blank stares judging by the returned look of bafflement, but Tess composed herself enough to say, "Then what do you want? Lex and I will give it if we can. You have our gratitude for what you did to help save our brother."

Oliver had never looked more shocked or insulted, "I don't want anything! I want the same thing you do and that's to see him survive this."

Tess' full lips curved into a smile that was too sad to be seductive, "He'll come out of it now that he's here. He's survived worse." A gravity entered her voice, "But you should leave before Lionel arrives. He would not be pleased to see you here. We can have the pilot return you to your own home, or we can have a driver provided."

"You're still afraid of him, aren't you?" Oliver almost did not seem to expect an answer, so they did not offer one, the silence was answer enough, "May I see Clark before I go?"

The siblings exchanged worried glances, not at all sure how grand an idea that would be. "No one is really... allowed in that portion of the house." Tess finally answered.

"That big locked room that leads to some kind of basement? What exactly is down there?" Oliver was fishing, seeing what he could get them to say when they were vulnerable.

Lex shoved his hands as deep into his pockets as he could to hide the fists, "Clark has some special health conditions, has since he was a child. It is really best he be sequestered at times for his own health." The lie must have been more obvious than expected, the bitter taste of it on his tongue must have showed.

"Why such elaborate locks?" Oliver was watching them intently, "Is it really to keep germs out, or is there more to it?"

"When we were younger, we..." Tess was trying to decide what to say, but Lex was not expecting to hear what she offered, "Clark used to try to run away so..." It must not have been very well thought out, "What I mean is-"

"No, I think I get exactly what you mean!" Oliver shook his head and closed his eyes, "God, how long has that door been there? How long has this been going on? Do you even know what happens behind those doors or do you never ask? Are you just thankful it's not you down there?" He was getting angry, starting to make hand motions, "How does anyone, even with all this money, get away with locking their adoptive child in something like that? Why did you never tell anyone? Where the hell have social workers been? Did no one ever check anything?"

"There were no social workers," Tess shrugged and smiled darkly, "the adoption was through a dummy company that only handled two adoptions. Lucas and Clark. No one ever checks on things. Are you really so idealistic? You just assume anyone checks?" She stepped forward and that was when Lex realized she was angry, that something hit a nerve, "And yes, we've all spent time down there as punishment, even if it was just to watch what was happening to each other.

There was fire in her eyes like she was the one with those powers, "We know exactly what happens. Lionel has never been a kind sort of father, if you couldn't guess. He put me in an orphanage that experimented on their children to turn them into assassins and the only reason he pulled me back out was because he realized it might be dangerous to leave me in a place that might teach me how to act on my hatred of him."

Oliver looked decidedly ill and inhaled sharply, "I wish I thought you were lying," he muttered under his breath.

There was a long silence where no one spoke and no one moved. Tess seemed to be regretting her laps of judgement and trying to regather herself even though he wondered if part of her had always wanted to blurt that out to someone. It was all true, they had all been down there and had even spent their own turns under study for one reason or another. Lex was tested first for his loss of hair but then it was because he never got sick and he healed abnormally fast. After Milton Fine got a hold of him his healing had heightened even more, so he was examined more. Fine was in a lab now, far away and unable to do much of anything. Lionel was ruthless enough to hold back the return of Zod, a world killer; what did that say about a Luthor?

"I'll take you up on that driver, I guess." Oliver shoved his hands into his pockets, extending his chest and watching them.

Tess lead the way like a royal lady escorting him, leading their guest away to safer paths in hopes than their father never need know he had been there at all. Lex slunk away to crawl into the hospital bed with Clark. He still looked ashen, worse still against the white sheets and pillow. The heart monitor was beeping too fast, indicating clearly that there was still pain even if he was healing rapidly. Having that poison inside him was not easy on his body even once it was finally out. After some time passed Tess crawled in on Clark's other side and the three of them just laid together in silence. After a few minutes the heart monitor beeps slowed and evened out into a normal rate.

* * *

Once Lionel had arrived he chased both of them away; they returned once it was safe and found Clark with a blue kryptonite ring on his finger, ensuring his healing rate would not be able to overcome his wounds with his usual speed. They dared not touch it because something worse might follow if they tried but it did not mean they had to like it. Clark was moved upstairs and kept healthy by the nurses and doctors, the ones not usually involved in punishment but healing. The ring stayed for a week, long enough to display Clark to the media and get shots of him looking poorly in a bed with all the monitors around him. Kat Grant and her cameraman had looked a bit shell shocked and grim when they left but Lex never knew why, he could only suppose Lionel had done something to put them off.

A week and a half later and it was time for more cameras. Lionel brought them both out to the set. The Daily Planet had branched out into television a few years before and it was thriving per expectation. When they walked in one of the first people they had seen had been the perky blonde and she had looked at Clark rather sadly which made Lex wonder again what exactly had happened in that publicity stunt. When Lois' usual dour look was tempered though, he knew something drastic had happened that he was yet to be made aware. Perhaps Oliver had told them something. They had given him the ammunition after all.

Though Oliver never had looked at them with quite the heat Lois did. There was hate, but then those eyes would flit between Lex and Clark, noting the stances and the close way they stood, and a softening would filter into the look. It was sympathy brought out by something Queen had discovered years and years ago when they all went to school. They were not absolved in his eyes by any means but Lex had heard Lois and Oliver talking once almost a year ago to date.

"How can you defend them? They are scum! Worse than scum! They are the lowest of the low, Ollie!" Lois was vehement in her usual way.

"I'm not defending them, it's just... you don't know them like I do. I went to school with them."

"Yeah, I heard they were no picnic in school either. Luthor's to the bone, born bad."

"I don't think they were born that way. That kind of thing... it's taught, learned, beaten in." Oliver sounded sad and it was strange to hear.

"Yeah, those silver spoons must have been tough to eat with."

"I remember... how they stood whenever Lionel was around. Like toy soldiers, afraid to breathe wrong."

"I'm crying on the inside." Lois huffed.

"Lois," he was almost stern, "you're not getting what I'm saying. I saw more than enough of what he did to them when he knew people might be around. I don't want to think about what he did when no one could see. I'm not saying what they do is right, I'm saying... I know why they turned out like they did."

"You had a hard life and look how you turned out!" Lois sounded sentimental, "You're a good man."

"I didn't get beaten half to death for tripping, Lois. I didn't grow up waiting for someone get rid of me if a better version came along. Even though my parents were gone I knew they loved me, still cared for me to the end. They grew up in a whole other kind of darkness."

It was quiet a minute but Lois finally said, "Maybe, but they didn't fight the darkness that hard."

"I think... maybe they did. They just lost."

For the first two years at Excelsior Lex had been alone, the target for every joke and every cruel prank. Oliver was a leading force in the bent of hate toward the defective Luthor son. People suspected Lionel of being involved in the Queen's plane crash and that probably had a good deal to do with the hate, though Oliver had never been particularly friendly when they knew each other before that. Every single boy in the school seemed to be in on the plot to make Lex want to die. He was the freak among rich, entitled brats that watched their parents make other people's lives not worth living, so they knew how it was done.

The first years were a living hell, third year changed everything because Clark was moved to Excelsior. Lex no longer worried what was being done to Clark at home because they were both out of that house and that was a lot like peace. Plus, the bullying stopped very swiftly once Clark was in the picture. Even then he had been taller, broader then most others though he was younger by far. Lionel had aged him up from what they believed his true age would be, but he had always been too advanced in many ways for them not to age him higher to avoid problems.

People were wary of challenging two Luthor's at once, particularly one that looked like Clark. Those who had been cautious were proven right only a week into classes. The first time Geoffrey, one of Oliver's friends, tripped Lex on the outside stairs, Clark whirled around, snatching the kid by the scruff of the neck. At first Clark just glared, demanding an apology, but when he was met with nothing but cutting insults the coldness had taken hold.

Kal smiled wide at the insults to the family name, his not well talked over adoption, suddenly all sharp edges in his every aspect, and dangled the other boy over the balcony by one leg. As if speaking of the weather, Kal had explained in great detail how fragile the human spine really was, how easy it was to destroy with a fall hitting just so. Lex had not been absolutely sure Kal would not kill Geoffrey but he had not said a word, just wondered what their father would do if someone was killed publicly. To be fair, no one did anything other than watch.

When the shaking mess of a boy had found solid ground again, Kal smoothly suggested he retract each of his previous statements, which was met with instant compliance. Then, with one hand on Geoffrey's head, Kal forced him to look at Lex and beg forgiveness. No one had ever begged Lex to forgive them like that before, but terror was a great motivator, and Lex could tell Kal's grip on a thin boned wrist was tight indeed and the hand on that head had clearly not been gentle either. Lex accepted, finally gathering himself enough to tell 'Clark' to let things go. Having someone beg was not gratifying the way he expected, it was just sickening.

The cruel look in those green eyes had been Kal's but almost the second he let go, he was slowly slipping back into Clark, "Sure, Lex, if you say so." No one really challenged either of them again. Oliver hated them both a hundred times more, but even he was careful how far he took things after that.

Things changed with Oliver though, around their fourth year.

Lex had been hunched in on himself, watching the football team practice. Lex himself was in polo and archery with no interest in football but Clark loved it with a passion. Even if Queen was also on the team. Though honestly, he was also in archery so they could hardly keep away from him even outside class. Lex was a ball of nerves watching his brother today though, just waiting for the worst. The blue ring still would not come off. They might have to use green Kryptonite to get it off, or a tub of oil, something.

Clark threw the ball but his range of motion was so limited it missed the mark by a mile. The coach roared like a wildcat and both Luthor's flinched.

"What's wrong with you? First you cost us the game yesterday and now you can't throw? You never throw that bad!" He grabbed Clark on either shoulder and gave him a shake, "Get your head in the game!" The unchecked gasp of pain stopped Simmons cold, making him frown and drop the hold, allowing Clark's instinctive shuffle away, "You hurt, Luthor?"

Clark smiled brightly, shyly, "Just ran into a door is all."

" _Wow!_ " Oliver jerked off his helmet, staring incredulously at Clark, "Is that what they call it these days? That _really_ is the most over used line!"

Clark's smile turned instantly wary and he took another step back, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Oliver looked angry, but oddly it really did not seem to be directed at Clark himself, "I saw, that's what that means! I saw your dad beat the hell out of you last night after the game! He was yelling at you for tripping and blaming you for his lost bet. I saw it! He broke his cane he was hitting you so hard!"

The wariness turned to fear but Clark kept smiling, trying for flippant as all eyes focused on him, "That's ridiculous!"

"He hit your knees with his cane to get you down, then he beat you with it till it snapped!" Oliver was snarling, stepping closer, "I saw him twist your arm behind your back so hard I heard the pop from behind the bleachers!" He motioned to Clark's arm, "It was either your elbow or your shoulder."

Clark shook his head, smiling desperate now, "That's just not true. I have no idea what you're talking about!"

It wasn't though, it was so very correct, Lex just never realized anyone had still been on the field to see it. Lionel had been furious, cornering Clark alone after he came out of the lockers after a shower. Even though there was nothing he could do to stop what he expected was coming he could not leave Clark alone, so he joined them near the benches. Clark was afraid so it was Kal with a cavalier grin aimed at their father, "Oh, come on, father! I have to slip up some times otherwise people will think I'm on drugs."

"Maybe you should be! It would at least be an excuse for costing me a substantial bet tonight! If you were high I might not be as disappointed." Lionel grinned, wolf fangs showing, "You knew I made a bet, didn't you? This was just one of your childish attempts to challenge me."

Kal's shoulders tensed when he heard the word 'disappointed' and only stiffened further, "I didn't throw the game intentionally! I don't know what happened, it was like I tripped on air."

"What do you expect?" Lex slid in at his father's side, moving past his father's men so he could glare better, "It would not be natural if he never made a mistake!"

Lionel spared Lex a glance, "Ah, yes, human error! The folly of _man kind_... but that is why I told you that you were allowed one mistake per game. I never said that mistake was allowed to cost me a game! That's something I can't stand for."

"It wasn't his fault! You can't pin the whole game on him!" Lex protested rather loudly but it fell on deaf ears.

"This requires punishment." Lionel purred, smiling.

Kal lifted his chin, eyes hard but accepting, waiting and ready for a verdict. Lex could only protest further, unsure what he had said once his father smacked a pair of leather gloves into his hand, "What are these?"

"They are for you to put on when you beat your brother." Loinel said simply, as if it were obvious before he tugged a blue ring from his pocket.

Clark just looked even more resigned but Lex dropped the gloves on the ground with a snarl, "No! I won't!"

"Do it or I will." An ultimatum delivered in a roll of that reptilian tongue.

"No! Just leave him alone! He won't make any more mistakes!"

With nothing more than a snap of Lionel's fingers, Lex was subdued by gorillas, the dropped gloves forced between his teeth to keep him quiet while their father sauntered toward Clark, twirling his brass handled cane in one hand, fiddling with the blue ring in the other. Clark, Kal really, did not flinch when the ring slid onto his finger, did not cry out when the cane handle cracked into his ribs. He was relatively quiet through the whole long beating. Lex was more vocal gagged than Clark was without; toward the end he cried out a little more often.

Faced with his team now, a secret threatening to spill over, Clark looked small and helpless, like a fawn facing down the wolves. He looked worse than he had face down in the dirt. Secrets were what kept Clark alive, they all knew the world as a whole would be even more unkind to the adopted alien son of a Luthor. There was nothing they could do but stay silent. Clark would not stand a chance of being free of Lionel without his time in a lab becoming less of an awful occasion and more of a final resting place.

Oliver was deceptively calm then, nodding, "All right, prove it!" He lifted his arm vertically, holding it out level to the side, "Just lift your arm, shoulder high, then I'll believe it's not dislocated. We'll say I was wrong about what I saw."

The step back was as telling as anything from Clark, showing that he was beaten and he had known it from the start, "I don't have to do anything you say!"

"You could always lift up your shirt. You were late to practice so no one saw you suit up. If there aren't any marks that will prove it, fast and easy."

"I don't have to put up with this!" Clark hissed, taking that step back again, "You're not even the coach so why are you trying to order me around?"

"Lift up your shirt, son!" The coach's order was almost soft, like he did not really want to know but he had to ask.

Clark's eyes were wide when he looked at the coach, backing up a full two steps, distancing himself progressively, "What, you're just going to go along with that?"

"If he's lying, there is nothing you need to hide." The coach sounded like he wanted it to be a lie.

Lex had no choice but to step in, hurrying from the bleachers, "Clark, we need to go! We have an appointment."

Clark swallowed, looking at Lex like a ship might look to its anchor in a storm, "Right, yeah, almost forgot." And Clark was hurrying over instantly, latching onto the excuse.

"I saw you too, Lex!" Oliver shouted, jogging to catch them, "Those bodyguards held you down to keep you away! That means you know it's wrong, even for a Luthor! He got off on all that, didn't he? In what world is that right? How often does that happen?"

In what world? That was the million dollar question.

"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." Lex shot back, not even looking back as they finally got off the field and into the hallway that would take them away from that.

"What about what you said about when you go home? How Lionel thinks he can do anything to Clark because he's adopted? How you wanted to find a way to go somewhere else for break because you're afraid your dad will 'lock him in the basement again' because of this? Huh? What about that?"

That stopped Lex dead and he could not help the way he spun around, face likely ashen and betraying everything his mouth had not, "Don't!" It was not especially Luthor the way his voice cracked, "You'll make it worse! If he finds out what you-"

"Lex!" Clark jerked him forward and away, "We're going to be late!"

"He tried to make you do it!" Oliver was clearly outraged, almost unhinged, his sense of wrongness having been triggered, "Do you even see how twisted that was? Do you even understand the sick, sick-"

"Just let it go, Ollie!" Lex plead over his shoulder. "Don't ever say anything! You're just a kid, like us, you'd be expendable." Lex was not totally sure he cared if their father had Oliver killed but Clark would somehow end up taking the brunt of things once again and that could not happen. Their father wanted to keep them frightened. It was the only way he could be sure they would never turn on him. Condition them, terrify them into subjugation. Luthor's knew psychology and tactics, it's not like they could not understand what was being done to them. They knew, it just didn't stop it from working. It worked because they had no one to turn to powerful enough to save them.

Oliver looked suddenly bewildered, even lost, but most of all horrified. He did not stop jogging beside them though, "You're Luthor's! You're his kid! How does he think he can get away with any of-"

"Because he can! He can do whatever he wants... and even with us," Lex smiled, mostly because it wasn't funny but he had a bad habit of telling Oliver things he shouldn't when they were kids, or, well, little kids, seemed like he still did; before Clark, Oliver was as close to a friend as he'd known even if they basically were enemies, "he can always get more. Have another kid. We're not safe either, so you really aren't! Just don't say anything!"

"Shut up, Lex! You're older than me, you're supposed to know better than to let him bait you." Clark forced Lex to move faster.

Oliver never exactly said anything again, but he did manage to find the locked cellar door at the next charity function the Luthor's threw. The look of horror had been back even if he could not manage to get down any farther. It was nothing but confirmation of the frightened chatter Lex had been spouting while he dragged Clark's battered body back to the showers. He washed off the blood and found the medical kit so he could do what little an untrained kid knew to since he could not get the ring off. Oliver must have followed them that whole time, listening to Lex's wild babbling. Most of it would not have meant much to him, even when they were alone they never said anything direct, never used certain words. Oliver got enough to know it was bad at home.

The puff pad of the makeup brush running too close under his eye made him blink and nearly jerk away, ignoring the mumbled apology. He had never been a fan of the readying process for the cameras. It was annoying and arduous in its own way. They always put so much makeup on him, all over his face and head that a shower was always the biggest thing on his mind. He felt as fake as a bald Ken doll and it was never his favorite feeling, being objectified. They made him up down to the last detail, making everything perfect down to the creases in his socks. While he was normally immaculate it was all so much more exaggerated on screen that it hardly felt real at all. He was nothing but an image played up until he was a bastion of business and example of raw, mainly untapped power. Some people said it was a good thing, made him appealing, made him untouchable, even exotic. He still hated it and always would.

"I just feel bad for them, you know?" A feminie voice that sounded very much like Kat Grant filtered into his ear, "I mean, they're not good people but after seeing that I kind of get why they turned out so aweful."

A male voice scoffed, "They're Lionel Luthor's kids, what did you expect? You thought the old guy was secretly a teddy bear?"

"No, Jimmy, it's just... I'd never seen anyone be that heartless to their own child! As a mother it just doesn't make sense to me and he did not even seem to see anything wrong with it. I was just glad you were smart enough to catch it on tape even though he told you not to film until he told you to."

"No one's ever going to see it but us, you know that, it's not even damning evidence of any thing besides sadism. It's just something to tuck away in Perry's vault just in case."

"I still just-"

"Kat, their not stray cats, don't try to take them home and nurse them back to health, alright?" Jimmy must have walked away because the conversation seemed to be over.

Maybe the blonde air head had a brain after all. He never took the time to notice even though he partly ran the Daily Planet. He had no idea why half the honest reporters, editors, or even type setters worked for them; honest or kind people had no business working with a Luthor. While he knew exactly why the crooked ones stayed, or even the ones that were spies for Edge or any number of enemies stay, the honest idealists never made sense before. Everyone knew how utterly frustrated Perry White was with all the restrictions, but he had no choice other than blocking information, however Lionel could not touch him so long as he still had whatever evidence he had stashed away in some unknown location. Most likely it was a culmination of things like that tape the cameraman clearly managed to smuggle away behind the old man's back; underestimating the ones that seemed stupid might be his father's weakness. That might be why honest people still worked there, for Perry. It never occurred to him that anyone would dare try but maybe it should have. Enemies he understood all along, but now he might understand the honest ones too.

When he stood and strolled to the stage he wondered how much they had on their upstanding father. After all these years it might be substantial. Perhaps it was time to give the angels a little help from the dark side? It might just be worth the fallout to try. They would need t be careful and never let Lionel catch on but it was worth a try. The man would see it coming from a mile away if they tried to gather evidence themselves but he might miss it if they gave it away . Hubris might be Lionel's greatest flaw, a fatal sin.

Kal was already on stage, poised perfectly in the chair and looking debonair so Lex took the seat beside him. If he lead the charge Kal would follow, they worked well together that way whether it was Clark or Kal.

The interview progressed well with lot of the inital 'how are you feeling' with gleaming replies of 'never better' and they each turned on the charm. They were all more than capable, snakes of a rare breed that could charm a mouse right into its den willingly. Lex let things go on and progress nearly to a conclusion before he decided it was time to snap his jaws. It only took one side glance at Kal, one full of meaning for his brother to perk up and tune into him, waiting for the move that was sure to follow.

"Funny how our security is always around except when we actually need them." Lex mused, as if to himself.

Lionel smiled and chuckled a little, "Well, they no longer have their jobs so-"

"No, they don't," Lex agreed, feigning indifferent nonchalance, "but they're still on payroll, which is interesting." He rose his brows high, innocent look on his face as he shrugged.

Kal leaned forward just slightly, picking up where things were headed effortlessly, faux amazement in his voice, "And they make a lot more now than they used to! Guess it pays to leave us to die."

Their pretty little host fell absolutely silent, smart enough to see the beginnings of a battle brewing.

Lionel kept smiling, his lips spreading even more to reveal more teeth, "Are you trying to imply something?"

Clark cocked his head to one side, a confused frown creasing his brow, "What on earth is there to imply?" Then he smiled, mimicking the full teeth grin aimed at him, "I just hope your guards never realize how lucrative leaving a Luthor to die can be, dad! Might be best not to tell them."

"Is that a threat or a further, unfounded accusation?" Lionel dropped the smile at that.

Lex pursed his lips before speaking, "Actually, neither. We would need to be unsure to simply accuse. We're just curious is all. Wondering why you hired someone to kill us. We kind of wondered if you had another brother hidden somewhere to switch us with. I mean, you did hide Lucus very well even though you decided he was not company material." Lex leaned forward, pretending to lower his voice even though he knew he was still linked to the microphone, "Was it a test or were you really trying to kill one of us? If you were trying to thin the ranks, which one of us did you hope would die? If it was a test, I'm guessing I failed since I didn't take my chance to finish Clark while he was down, bullets in his chest. Not very Luthor of me, letting a prime opportunity pass me by."

"Cut the tap!" Lionel ordered, not bothering to make it seem like anyone had a choice, "If you two want to accuse me of something it would be nice if you did so in a more private location. Did you think we were filming live?"

Clark leaned back in his chair, relaxing and sprawling out a bit, "Of course not. You never film live if you can help it, it's just more fun this way."

"See how fun you two think it is when I take away those cars you're so fond of!" Lionel's intonation was very fatherly, scolding.

Lex kept his tone very light with a touch of petulance, "Of course we're fond of those cars! At least when we're behind the wheel we're not wondering if our driver is about to kill us."

Clark held up a finger and turned to Lex, "Oh, hey, I don't know about that, what with the way you drive, Lex! That's pretty scary."

Lex inclined his head, spreading his hands to concede the point.

Lionel jerked his sound box off, pointing a bony finger at them, "You want to see scary? That can be arranged if you pull a stunt like this again! You think I'm amused?"

"It is kind of funny since we both survived. You went to all that trouble for nothing." Lex shrugged, smiling one of his own darker curl of the lips.

Lionel leaned very close, "I don't know, boys... I think what was more amusing was watching your faces on the security tapes, listening to you both whine like pups, or it would hve been amusing if it wasn't so pathetic. I raised you better than that! You're right, neither of you were very Luthor, just weak! I don't have son's at all! Tess could have handled that more like a man than either of you!"

"You were pretty whiny when you lost your eyesight, dad." Lex pointed out simply, not conceding an inch of ground.

"Go home! I'll do the interview without you!" Lionel snapped as he rose and stormed off stage. "And do try to be safe out there, you've already seen how dangerous it can be," was the parting threat.

Lex looked at Clark, aware they still had a captivated audience, so he exaggerated a shrug and bewildered expression, "Was it something we said?"

Clark reached up and flicked that top button of his shirt open, "And I buttoned that for nothing. So much for show time, huh?"

They slid to their feet in a smooth glide, in perfect time with each other. They removed their sound equipment as they descended the steps, folding the wires neatly before setting them on a table. All eyes were still on them, flabbergasted, some mouths were still hanging open. The two Luthor's ignored it all, strolling out like they had not a care in the world, like nothing out of the ordinary happened at all. Nothing would ever hit the news but they made a statement and that was all they planned on. The funny part would have been if their father really had trusted them live.

Seeing Lois rushing to catch them should not have been a surprise, but the open look to her face was, as was the near lack of hatred in her eyes. She was as soft as either had ever seen her. Oliver joining them, that sad look magnified, was not very surprising.

"Did you mean all that?" She asked, hushed, "Did he really...?"

Clark smirked but Lex did not know where he found the fortitude, "Sure, Lois! I mean, who did you think it was? Wayne?" He pointed his chin at her companion, "Or Ollie? Even if the thought might have crossed their minds, aren't they a little too clean for that?"

"And your not taking this to the police?" She sounded indignant and it was enough to make Clark's laugh close to genuine.

"Right, because that would go so well, huh? It would just mean I'd get a bullet it the head rather than two in the chest. Be real!"

"He's your father!" And it seemed she was honestly struggling with that aspect.

"I'm adopted." Clark shrugged, "And Lex..." but he refused to finish that.

Lex did, "I'm defective. It wouldn't be a real loss for him. He could just remarry and try again or dig up some other kid he has hidden away. Maybe one with hair, a nice lionmane to match his."

Lois almost looked desperate or ill, "You have to tell someone! Take this to law enforcement! They could protect you! We have all that on tape!"

"It will be erased within the hour." Lex interjected without any heat, just certainty.

"Not if I made a copy! Perry would-"

Clark laughed more loudly, "Oh, oh, right! Because you, or anyone really, is going to risk your life for a _Luthor!"_ And Clark just kept laughing, and after a moment, Lex could not help joining his own bitter laugh to it. For just a moment they were almost hysterical, leaning shoulder to shoulder, because the idea really was funny, though they calmed quickly and made for the door.

"Hey," Oliver had not said a word through the exchange, and maybe that was why they both turned back to look, "If you need a place to sleep for the night, lay low, you could always come to my place."

The residual smiles dropped from both their faces and they just stared at Lane and Queen like those two were the ones from another planet. Lois looked as sad as Oliver did, like she understood that little piece of things now, the reason her lover had spoken of. The Luthor curse was a terrible thing and it could not be broken.

"I don't think you want to get mixed up in this, Ollie." Lex might have looked a little sad too, too shocked to mask his emotions well enough. "It's a Luthor problem after all. It's got nothing to do with you."

"I'm offering. We're just old friends from school. No reason you can't crash with me." He was sincere and it hurt just... more than expected.

"Luthor's don't have friends, old or new." Lex managed to smile but he had a bad feeling it held nothing but resignation. "It's not how the world works."

Oliver moved a little closer, "I should have offered a long time ago."

A look at Clark revealed that he was not smiling anymore, he looked almost spooked, almost terrified, "We... we'll remember that if we... ever..."

Clark, well, not really, it had been Kal with him all evening, "We aren't allowed." There was a flatness to that voice, "What Lex means is, Luthor's aren't allowed to have friends. No one wants that kind of trouble parking on their lawn, and even if they did, which is not possible, Lionel _encourages_ us not to. It would be weak, you know." The last part was said with more inflection, starting to be playful, "Can't have that. He's not overly fond of his own children being friendly with each other, he'd rather see us fight to the death, winner take all. We're already in trouble because we didn't try to get each other killed when we could have blamed it on a hit."

"God, you're not serious, are you?" Lois half whispered.

That was the thing about truth said in a joking tone, people tended not to believe it.

It was true enough to be funny and Lex found himself laughing with Clark once again, "You have no idea."

They turned for the door again but Lex's feet brought him up short, though he did not turn around, "Thanks... for the offer anyway, Ollie And for... everything before."

Peryy White was watching them when they walked out and Lex knew that tape would actually end up surviving. Not to help them, no, but to take own Lionel Luthor one day. They did not have friends but they had more than enough enemies to go around. It would always be that way. So long as it meant Lionel fell one day he did not totally mind.

Kal shot Lex a dark glare as he eased into the passenger side of the Ferrari, "What was that in there?"

"The interview?" The deepened glare was answer enough, "Just a little experiment."

Kal jutted out his jaw in a display of anger. "I backed you this time, Lex, but don't ever spring something like that on me again or you might not be pleased with the results."

"Fair enough." Lex nodded, "But how about you bring Clark back now? It's over now so you don't really have any reason to stick around."

Kal looked at him for a long minute before he smiled, "Always Clark. Lionel is right, it's your emotions, your sentiment that will be your undoing, Lex, your greatest weakness."

"You're quoting him now?"

"Tess accepts this part of me, you know, that this is Clark too. Why can't you?"

"Because I know there is a difference."

"Maybe it's just what you want to see." But he looked away and after a moment the posture relaxed and the eyes that turned to him were gentle and open, "Lex..." He breathed.


	3. Chapter 3

After a long day of paperwork, a phone glued to his ear, and terminally long meetings, Lex was ready to just sit. Staring at a wall for hours would be perfectly acceptable in the state that he was in. In truth, he was not up for very much mental exertion, nor exertion of any kind. All he wanted in life was to sprawl out on his couch, feet up on the armrest, head on a pillow, and nothing else. If anything short of a world-ending event tried to sway him from his intent he might fight them, or hire someone to fight them so he could go around them and get to his destination.

It was sad and amazing how tiring doing nothing physical could be. It would stand to reason that typing and sitting in a chair all day should be relaxing. It was not. He was less tired after hours spent at a gym, which, in his opinion, was strictly unfair. The soft, imported leather creaked slightly when he eased himself down, ready to untie his shoes and get very busy staring at his walls.

"Hey, Lex," Clark meandered into the room, but upon looking up to the cocksure smile greeting him, threatening more than inviting, he knew it was all Kal, "think I could have a word with you? Alone?"

The burning question would be why it was Kal and not Clark coming to him. To think he would have to deal with yet another thing for the night when he had been moments away from getting that nice evening he'd thought about all day. It would figure he could not get that lucky. Fate was never overly kind. But then, nothing had ever been kind to Clark either, so how could he hold a grudge?

"What about?" Something deep within him shied instantly away from the thought of being alone with Kal, that something was an unprecedented heady spike of self-preservation and fear like he had never felt the cause for before. Something about Kal was setting off a warning inside him. It was unfounded, nothing had happened between them and he saw no glints of shiny red on any of those fingers.

Kal lowered his voice just a little, "It's not a matter I feel comfortable talking about where anyone might hear us."

Lex nodded, pushing aside the irrational case of dread because Clark would never let anything bad happen, he would surface if things went south. "Sure, if you like. We can go for a drive."

That smile grew broader, "Nah, your office is good enough. I'm not _that_ worried."

Lex nodded again and stood, leading the way even though a voice in his head protested loudly at the act of letting the reason for the wary feeling walk behind him. Something was wrong, clearly, but he would have to find out what. They entered his home office and Kal slid the door shut slowly, with something like sickening finality. The fear heightened so Lex relaxed his body, hoping the increased rate of his heart would go unnoticed.

Leaning a hip on his large desk he finally asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

There was no other word for what Kal did besides 'prowl' like some sort of tiger toward a wounded animal in the tall grass, "You."

"Me?" Lex found it a little harder to control his instinct to bolt because he could feel the wrongness in the air and he could feel that something very bad was coming.

"I suppose you thought Lionel wouldn't notice you were investigating him." Those eyes were so intent on him that there was no way Kal did not see the widening of his eyes, "What you did with the evidence is anyone's guess... what else have you been gathering evidence on? Me, maybe?"

"No!" The response was more desperate than could be dampened try as he might.

"Oh, yes!"

"No!" An eloquent dialog was slipping from his grasp.

"You covered yourself pretty well but you couldn't think he would never notice, huh?"

"He sent you?" It was as much accusation as realization.

"Not strictly. I told him I wanted to deal with you on my own terms. Talk to you, help you see the light." It was such an innocent-seeming face but that darkness was under the skin and visible, making it seem as though Clark's light never existed.

"Why? What do you hope to gain?"

"When your big brother starts to nose around daddy wolf, you have to wonder what else he has up his sleeve. I mean... what better way to solidify the old man's downfall than to offer up his greatest sin against humanity? The harboring of a deadly _force_ that isn't from around here? Give the public that and..." he chuckled, so dark and low, flashing white teeth, "they would embrace you the way no Luthor has ever been welcomed. You would be a hero for taking down an evil emperor and his pet freak... right? You could have it all, money, fame, and acceptance, just like you always wanted. You'd change your destiny."

"No!" Lex repeated, more strained, "I would never-"

"Of course you would, Lex." That awful, cruel smile, "You're a Luthor and that's what we do! We destroy what gets in the way of things we want. We make a way where there wasn't one by force. We make our lives what we want even if it means we get some blood on our hands. We go where we want to and do what we want to because we can. We make our own freedom by subjugating others." He laughed at his own joke, "'Screw the rules, we have money' and that makes up for everything else. Money and power mean we can be anything we want."

A large part of him felt like there was a code in all that, a message he was not getting. Clark trying to tell him something, because on some words he saw those eyes change for only a second. "You're wrong, you're my brother, I haven't done-"

"Don't bother." Kal cut in, "You made your choices, picked your side. You wanted a better life, away from this... and you know what? I'm going to give it to you. I'm sending you to a better place... I mean, if they let Luthor's in there, that is."

Lex backpedaled stumbling over his own feet the way he had not done since he was around six or during a growth spurt, "Wait, no, this is not what you really want! We're brothers!"

"Lionel's your blood and you had no problem giving him up, it's only a matter of time before you decide I'm next."

"Clark! I would never hurt you! Clark, please!" And there, he saw the flash, the momentary softening in the eyes each time he said his name, but it was gone again just as soon.

"Sorry, Lex, but it has to be this way. If you think about it, I'm giving you the easy way out. You'd end up dead eventually anyway, or worse, but this way you know exactly what's happening. No questions, just a simple ending. I'll make it mostly quick so long as you don't fight it."

So calm, so unaffected, so Kal. There was no mercy, just a sort of task orientation in the set of his jaw. "No, wait! We can talk about this, Clark!" He was backed against the bookshelves and had no place else to go.

"It's too late for that. I've already made up my mind how tonight goes, I can't turn back... and I don't want to. If you could get past your own death, you would thank me. I'm doing this for you, Lex... and because having you around makes me weak. You're emotional and it bleeds into me so I'm not as strong as I could be."

"Listen, listen! Just because Lionel sent you in here doesn't mean you have to play his games! We could figure something out!"

"No, Lex. You're not hearing me." Kal moved in at human speed, each step deliberate, hands gentle the way they reached for him.

It would never get him very far but he could not help the way his instincts kicked in, he kicked and lashed out like a wildcat. Cognitively he understood that he could not win but it did not stop him from trying his very best. Each blow he landed was like striking a metal door; it hurt him and did no damage to the obstacle at all. He threw books, threw anything he could get his hands around but Kal deflected everything lazily, studying his panic like he was plotting. Without a warning, those iron fingers were at his throat, not choking but firm pressure, another set banding around his wrists.

Kal pulled him close, looking into his eyes like he was memorizing the moment, "I'm sorry, Lex. I wish it didn't have to be this way. I'll miss you, but I can't risk keeping you around just for sentiment." And it was strange, a deep twist of a knife in his heart, the worst kind of betrayal when he saw those eyes turn into Clark's.

Lex's mind suddenly pulled up that extra ring of blue Kryptonite in his desk and he went limp, twisting his body into those weak points of contact where thumb and fingers met. It would work on a human but it should not have worked on an alien, but it did like he either had not expected it or even allowed it. He lunged off the desk ripping the drawer out and scrambling for the velvet black box only to have those huge hands get hold of it first. Those green eyes studied in, turning it over and over without opening it. The 'not a bad try' might have been spoken for it was clearly written all over Kal's face, meaningless as it was when he placed it up high on the bookcase like a taunt. Lex was tall enough to reach it but getting to it would be the actual challenge.

Lex sprang to his feet, making an admittedly futile try for the door only to have his feet kicked out from under him. He fell to the floor with a whoosh of air leaving his lungs. The kick had not been any harder than any human with Clark's football background would have been, and that was either an act of mercy or simply a reflexive pull of strength ingrained after so many years. Lex's head had narrowly missed the desk corner and he could be thankful for that.

Kal knelt down, a hand gently placed between Lex's shoulder blades, likely able to feel those uncontrollable trembles in his muscles. He would never have expected to feel this sort of fear when faced with Clark, or maybe not even Kal, but there was finality to the way he looked at him; a finality perhaps not unlike a defendant looking up into the eyes of their judge moments before sentencing and knowing exactly what the verdict will be simply by the expression on that authoritative visage. It is over and it has been decided, no amount of bargaining will change it.

And honestly, some twisted Luthor part of his mind thinks that Kal is right. If Lionel knows what he has been doing the last few months since that near television appearance, then this is inevitable. One way or another he will eventually end up dead. Having it done by Clark is a thousand times more painful betrayal wise but it probably will be less physically painful. He could see his father slipping him some horrific poison at some point when he was not expecting it and he would likely fade away slowly, feeling his own life drain away while he curled up on some cold floor. This will probably be much faster, more humane. All it would take was a quick shake to jell his brain, a pinch of two unearthly strong fingers to snap his neck, a clap of hands to utterly crush his skull. Instant death.

Clark leans over him, hands moving to grip both his shoulders, "It has to be this way. I'm sure you understand that on some level, or you will understand after it is all over." He leaned in, and it really is Clark's voice whispering into his ear seconds before the insanely fast jerk on Lex's body, "I love you. Always."

* * *

Clark took a long sip of from the crystal glass, letting it smooth down and burn. Highland Single Malt Scotch, Lionel and Lex's favorite since he could remember. They had a taste for the finer things in life. Not a bad way to live but it was addictive. He understood how it could weaken a person so easily to be accustomed to the plush, gentle lifestyle of the rich and famous. It was something of a learned behavior but he had seen how hard a habit it was to kick. Even a do-gooder like Oliver had trouble shaking off the desire for the finery afforded by money. One day he might be the same, be dependent, might have gotten there already.

Power was a high. It was better than drugs offered but even more difficult to shake off as a habit. One taste of real power, having a life in hand, having someone grovel at your feet, and it was not something you wanted to let go of. Power was an advantage and Clark Luthor had a lot of advantages in his favor; strength, looks, speed, money.

It was easy to go to Cadmus and get a few scientists to make a few clones of Lex, many, actually. He gave them a story about there being a hereditary disorder that ran in the family and wanting to know if they could eradicate it using clones, and if not if parts could eventually be harvested from a clone to fix the problem organs. They did not refuse him once he put on the charm, and the ones that still suggested running the idea past Lionel had swiftly changed their minds when he showed up in their homes playing blocks or superheroes with their children; all they needed was a little understanding, a little perspective and they were agreeable to his terms.

The side of him that was soft and sentimentally weak balked at such a tactic but the half of him went silent after he reminded Lex's Clark exactly what the reasons were for such actions. No one had to die, they just needed to know fear in an intimate sort of way.

Normal people, he found, would do anything for their children. He wondered on occasion where Lex, Tess, and himself had gone so wrong to end up with one that did not care. Clark had not one, but two bad sets considering his birth father threw him into space without so much as clothing for when he landed to be found by Lionel; if that did not indicate a lack of caring he did not know what did. They must have known an alien child would not stand a chance at a normal life but they tossed him out anyway. "Rule them with strength." Well, he could do that with no trouble at all but what sort of parent put a baby in a pod and left that as a message? Kind of sick, really. It fit very well with the second father figure "Kal-El" had been thrown to.

Pity. He always wondered, all the Luthor children did, what it would have been like to be loved and cared for; what life could have been had it been someone else that found him in a field; what it would have been like if Lex's mother took him and ran; what Tess' life might have been if her mother never told Lionel about her existence. Questioning it would never change it but a little sweet fantasy went a long way, though it often just made reality all the more bitter.

A light flicking on flooded the dark room in a stark white light that even made Clark flinch after having nothing but a window letting in the moonlight for who knew how long. There were twin gasps from the other side of the room but Clark did not bother to look up from his glass.

"Don't worry." He tips the glass toward the startled couple in the doorway, "I brought my own liquid indulgence. I haven't drained yours."

"I would say 'make yourself at home' but I'm thinking that would be ill-timed." Oliver quips, covering his shock with humor.

"How the hell did you get in Oliver's penthouse!?" Lois squawks with indignation, followed by more indignation, "What are you even doing here?"

"I was invited... if I remember right. Supposedly this is a place to lay low." Clark downed the rest of the glass in one go before reaching for the bottle and giving himself another. "Unless the invitation was only for Lex." Saying the name made something resonate inside his chest, pain moving and spreading to all his facets.

"It was for both of you." Oliver's eyes were flicking all over his guest, taking in everything, particularly the already empty bottle on the floor, "How much have you had to drink?"

Clark chuckled, "Don't worry, I can hold my poison quite well. I could drink you both under the table."

Lois' eyes narrowed in a challenge, "Doubt that, tenderfoot."

Clark fingered the blue ring on his finger, twirling it around absently, the velvet box in his coat pocket. "Mmm, you could be right, maybe you could outlast me, but I still doubt it."

"Why are you here?" Lois was less demanding but Oliver was getting progressively tenser.

"I came to invite you to a funeral." Clark paused, swirling the glass thoughtfully, "Although, now that I think about it, I'm not sure a date has been set yet so... maybe I should have known that part before inviting you."

"Funeral?" Oliver's voice was sharp.

Lois took a step forward, eyes wider, suddenly almost hopeful, "Lionel?"

Clark devolved into a fit of near giggles, looking up at them through his lashes, "We should be so lucky!" He chugged the next glass and got himself more. "I might actually have to dip into your supply soon Ollie. Mine is getting lower." He fumbled, feeling around the table till he found another bottle, "Oh, wait, I've got another."

"Did you drink both those bottles?" Lois sounded almost approving.

Clark shook the mostly empty bottle in his hand, "Almost." He could not help downing the next glass so he could finish off that bottle to open the last one.

"Clark, stop! You're going to kill yourself!" Oliver stepped forward and snatched the glass from his hand.

Clark lifted his chin defiantly before he took a sip directly from the bottle, "I'd offer you some, really, but I can't say for sure it's safe. I'm not just dead sure the old bastard didn't slip something into this stuff yet. I know he was going to, I just don't know if he got that far."

Lois and Oliver shared a look of alarm and the blonde tried to jerk the bottle away, but Clark curled both arms around it, not giving it up. "You think he poisoned it and you're still drinking it?" This time Lois sounded angry like it was a strange thing to do.

"It's no loss. I'm not even human, just a Luthor." Interesting how easy that slipped out, and even more odd because he had not even been totally talking about his alien blood.

"Give me the bottle, Clark!" Oliver could have been talking about a loaded gun rather than Scotch.

No one called him Kal but Lex, no one noticed the difference but Lex. "No" he stated, meaning it.

"Look, even if it's not poisoned you've had way more than you should have! Blood poisoning mean anything to you?" Oliver was annoyed, or worried, or both.

"Why do you care?" Clark cocked his head, frowning, "Everyone knows Lionel killed your family. Shouldn't you want us dead?" The way Queen jerked meant Clark had drawn blood exactly as he intended to.

"You should go. And maybe swing by a hospital." Lois' voice was even which meant she was angry.

Clark swung his eyes to her before he nodded and pushed himself out of the seat, "Sure, Lois. I'll go."

Clark walked toward the door, a little surprised by the sway in his steps and in the room around him. The ring worked for everything even if his body still did not quite take in the liquid poison the way it would have to a natural human. He still had tolerance for it but it did do a lot for him. The pain was not as sharp though it was still eating him alive, it was lazier about it. A piece of him was gone and he missed it more keenly than he expected. No, that was a lie, he knew how much this would hurt, how much of his mind it would take from his to do what he did. Humanity was slippery and it was getting farther away from him. Or maybe it was just Clark slipping away and Kal taking more territory within the shared space.

He used to hate it when Lex called him Kal. It was a reminder of everything that was wrong, broken, or different about him. Now that no one would be calling him Kal he found he missed it. He needed a new name, one he did not share with his other half. Maybe something that was tied to Kal-El alone, his own private nod to Lex in his own way. Lex would understand the meaning if he gave himself a name like that.

"You said something about a funeral." Oliver's voice cut through his thoughts.

Clark swiveled part of the way back to facing them, unsteady but keeping his hold on the bottle all the same, "Oh, yeah. You're invited. Both of you. I think he'd really like it if you came."

The look on Oliver's face was pure horror, like he wanted to know for sure but could not endure asking.

Lois did it for him, her eyes sharpening, moving to focus the way she did when she was reporting, "Where is Lex, Clark?"

Clark grinned entirely too wide, too dangerous, "That's an investigative reporter for you! Can smell blood can't you?" And the smile fell as the worlds choked him, this no longer felt any safer than any other place.

"Where is Lex, Clark?" Oliver was fast for a human because he was already right there in Kal's space. Clark's? Kal's? Which one was it? He needed a new name.

Kal smiled lazily, leaning back against the door he had been about to open a moment ago, "Far, far away. He's in a better place where Lionel can't ever touch him again."

Lois' hand slapped over her mouth. Oliver looked sick or like he wanted to cry but his hand landed on Kal's shoulder, making an effort to comfort but Kal did not do comfort, that was Clark's area.

"Lionel found out he... was slipping information to someone." Kal, yes, Clark was not here... Kal tipped his head enough that he could look right at Lois, "To Perry. But Lionel doesn't know who the information went to. I do. I knew all along but I'd never tell Lionel. Bastard can stay in the dark, wonder, worry. I bet he thinks it's Edge. It could have been, that would have been just as smart, and Lex was so smart." Kal's knees fail him and he finds the floor, not fighting the way it drew him down slowly.

"Oh, Clark..." Oliver sinks with him, silence in the room for a long while.

Kal's eyes blink shut and he thinks he might have fallen asleep for a moment, but he hears Clark's voice and knows different, "I found out what Lionel was going to do. I couldn't let him, you know. I couldn't let him do that to Lex. I-I had to stop it." He sounds broken, lost, full of grief the way Kal would never allow. "I couldn't let him hurt Lex. He was going to do such awful things! I... had to save Lex, I had to make sure Lionel could never touch him, could never hurt him again." Clark sort of laughed and sort of sobbed, "There is only one way to get away from Lionel."

There is terror in Lois' voice, a shake to it that has never been there before, "What did you do?"

Oliver's fingers on Clark's shoulder have been tightening incrementally with every word and now the grip is painful and might leave actual marks, but that seemed to send a masochistic satisfaction buzzing through Clark. Kal knows what Clark is doing, knows exactly what and why he has decided to do this. Those two are ties to Lex and it would be too painful if they stayed near, if there was sympathy rather than hate. Moreover, the closer they stay to the Luthor family the more danger they would be in. Clark can't let them be in more danger. It is easier to be hated than to allow for anything else, anything more harmful. Clark is cutting that last string to his own humanity, the last knot in the fabric that keeps him from going to sleep and leaving to the safer recesses of their shared mind. Clark can't handle living without Lex, Lois, and Oliver; he knows Tess loves Kal more than she does him and so she won't mind.

There are many reasons Clark decided to plunge into this, more than Kal could explain but he understands each one on a deeper level than language or reason could find a home in. He does not approve, would never be so foolish, but he understands. It's almost painful to know that Clark has chosen to fade because Kal will have lost him as well in some ways. He opens his eyes to peer out alongside Clark, watching the last moments of Clark being more than a locked door to half of their mind. It is rare for them to coexist at the same time within their body. The door between them is usually closed and locked, but there are those rare times when Clark lets it open. In some ways, Clark is stronger by far because he can lock that door but he can also open it, Kal cannot do either.

"I sent him away so Lionel could never get his hands on him. He's better off now. He's free. He's safe." Clark repeated it several times, the grief lacked into the words, "He's safe" and after a while, he whispered, "gone."

Clark slid away like a ghost then, with Kal belatedly trying to follow, wordlessly reasoning with him before he slipped behind the door and was gone as well. Kal had never felt alone inside his own mind before but the click of that lock was final. Kal began to laugh because he did not know what else to do. All they had suffered through and this was how it ended. It made him almost hate Lex, Clark too because they were gone and he was not.

When he came back to himself he was still laughing, curled around the bottle, tears almost welling in his eyes.

"You're insane!" Lois whispered her hand on a bronze statue, grip indicating she would pick it up and use it as a weapon soon.

"Isn't everyone?" He slurred, pushing himself to his feet before he took a swig of Scotch. One glance down and into Oliver's eyes was enough to make him turn and open the door. The softness was gone and only the hate was left.

The service was a very public thing though the casket was closed. The official story was a car crash and no matter how hard Lois dug she found nothing that would offer evidence to the contrary. It was surprising she never tried to print a story for it but he had not given a real confession, never admitted to killing his brother so there was not much she could do. They all knew a story about his drunken confession would not hold water and no one would believe it from the Luthor's most outspoken enemies.

Lex's grave becomes a place he visits often. The body inside is as near to his brother as he might come again. The headstone is the first to know when he decided on a name that is all his own. Ultraman. The grave is the only place Clark emerges for, making it the only time he is not alone. On occasion he spots Oliver watching from a distance, once in a while Lois is beside him, but they never venture close. Kal could care less if they see him with his head pillowed on a very grand and large headstone, it makes no difference. Lois avoids his office at the Daily Planet at all cost and he only sees Oliver at parties where they don't talk. It is worth it, even now Kal and Clark agree on that. They saved Lex and they only have two other things they need to accomplish; saving Tess and making Lionel pay.

Tess visits the grave with him half the time and they make their plans. Once he told her the truth she did not resent him as he expected, making him love her all the more. Tess makes that loneliness less sharp. He might have only one person left in the world but he is glad it is her. With Lex gone they are closer than ever, more driven than they would have been otherwise. They have a goal and even Clark will take part in the planning.

If all else fails, Kal promises to take Tess to that other world where she might get the same chance he gave their brother. The same trick would never work twice with Lionel.

* * *

Clark leaned over him, hands moving to grip both his shoulders, "It has to be this way. I'm sure you understand that on some level, or you will understand after it is all over." He leaned in, and it really was Clark's voice whispering into his ear seconds before the insanely fast jerk on Lex's body, "I love you. Always."

The sudden motion has Lex absolutely disoriented, so much so that he thought for a moment that he was having an out of body experience. He saw himself under the desk first, then he himself was under the desk and his body was with Kal. It took him a moment to understand that it was not out of body, he was seeing double, his own double. His brain was feeling vertigo even though he was curled up on the floor, but even past the dizziness, he could see a body that looked exactly like him, even down to clothing. Whatever was happening needed some explaining.

When he opened his mouth to question Kal let out a loud growl and a quiet hiss for him to be totally still. Lex obeyed even when Clark shook the body in his hands so harshly that the snap of the spine was actually echoing in the room, or it simply seemed to be. With that snap, Lex's throat closed and he could not have made a sound if he wanted to. The terror was almost alive in him as he watched Kal's hands crush the jawbone, spilling blood that leaked through his fingers; he watched legs being crushed and crumpled; a rib cage caved flat under the palms of those huge hands. Lex was covering his mouth with both hands by the end, his body shaking uncontrollably as he watched the blood pool thick under the body.

The door to the office crashed open with a loud bang that made Lex jump. Kal stood up, pulling the mangled body up with him, a laugh so dark it sounded like a nightmare rumbled from that barrel chest. The broken and bleeding body flew over the top of the desk, toward the door, landing with a sickening wet thump that made Lex curl up tighter in his hiding place.

"Merry Christmas a little early!" Kal grinned manically, stepping out of sight, "Too bad it was a live feed and you couldn't record it, right?" There are another few crashing sounds followed by wires sparking and sputtering out from being torn from a power source violently, "But you have the memories." Plastic and metal crunched loudly, most likely a small hidden camera.

Lex had checked the office only a few days before and found nothing. Either his equipment was flawed or it had been recently installed. While he was a the office all day, like today, maybe? That was a horrifying prospect. It made him feel sick as well as disoriented.

"You-" Lex already knew who would be at the door before the voice hit his ears but confirmation was always good, "You said you were going to talk to him." Lionel actually sounded strange, off, stressed, strained, emotions not identifiable by voice alone.

"Have you ever known me to just talk to anyone?" Kal's smirk was evident in his voice. "Besides, your problem is solved."

The long, long silence might be their father gathering himself, "There- this..." Lionel is unsettled and it is almost gratifying, "I never told you to kill him."

Kal sighed like the talk was irritating him, "We both know it was coming. You only involve me if you want someone dead."

"This is a mess!" Lionel spit.

"Nothing some bleach can't cure," Kal said kindly.

The door slammed and Lex was left to wonder if he was alone for only a second before Kal was there, tugging him out from under the desk and hustling him to one side of the room. While his feet did not have a mind to work it did not really matter against the strength pulling on him. Kal pushed on a bookcase just a little and suddenly there was a crack, a door in the wall revealed only by moving that enormous monster of wood to the side. A secret door. Of course, Kal would know if one existed and maybe he should have expected as much in an old castle like this. Their father never mentioned it but it was possible even he did not know since he had not paid much mind to the reconstruction of the castle beyond ensuring the builders knew the keep it exactly the same as it had been. Kal pushed him through the small opening and pointed to a large travel bag innocently waiting to the side.

"Everything you need is in there. Open the letter before you leave the castle and it will tell you exactly what to do. Everything is already set up, all you have to do is follow. It will take you somewhere safe. From there... what you do is your own choice." When Lex looked into green eyes they were that same mixture of personality he had seen in the elevator.

"Clark!" Lex could not help the way he lunged forward, clinging, face buried into the crook of Clark's neck, his breathing shaky.

Clark returned the hug, arms going around him tightly before pushing him away again, but he cupped Lex's jaw with a bloody hand, tears welling in green eyes, "Get away from here, Lex, and don't ever look back! Live your life! There is money enough for a good life waiting for you, and a safe place. Lionel will never find you if you don't ever give him reason to look."

"Clark!" Lex whispered desperately, clinging to the hand that was pushing him away, "No, wait-"

"There isn't time!" Clark together with Kal, mixed up and twisted together, "You have to go before he comes back! Don't make any noise when you're near an outside wall!"

"Clark, please!" Lex feels like he might break apart and crumble into a million pieces. This is too much too fast even if his mind understands exactly what is happening, he was never slow on the uptake. He knows this is the end, a goodbye, a whole new beginning because Lex Luthor is essentially about to be declared dead to the world. Whatever identity the bag holds will belong to someone else. How Clark did any of that he has no idea but it clear that it was done. This is final. This is goodbye to his old life and his brother in the span of a few minutes. Once the door shuts it will be too late to say anything to this person, his brother with a splintered mind, the brother than just saved his life when he never knew he was in danger.

It can't end this way! There is so much he would have said! Too much left unsaid, undone, too many things unfinished. The sheer desperation of the moment has his lungs crippled and tears falling freely from his eyes. He is not ready to leave! He had no idea he was going anywhere! It is too much too fast. He would have said and done so many things differently the past few weeks had he known this was coming! He has not even seen Tess in three days! He needs to tell her goodbye, needs to tell Clark, and Kal goodbye!

This must be what death feels like.

Lex can feel the sticky blood on his scalp when Clark cups the back of his head and presses their foreheads together, "Goodbye, Lex... we'll see each other again someday, I promise!" Lex staggers when he is pushed back into the darkness, "Go!" And then the heavy wooden monster is covering the door, sliding home with a click and thud.

The door to a coffin, Lex thinks hysterically, but he does not bang his fists against it the way he really wants to. There is a sort of numbness that lets him slide to his knees and open the bag, finding the tiny penlight hooked to the zipper first. Upon unzipping it he finds glowsticks and pops one to make it easier to see. They give off a very soft glow, the kind that would be harder to see from outside if he were to pass an air vent or something similar. His hands shake horribly when he picked up the promised letter.

He pressed it to his face, smelling Clark on it and closed his eyes. He felt numb but he felt sick at the same time. He was in shock and he knew it so he also understood that he needed to act quickly before the numbness of shock had time to go away. Feeling what he was very likely to feel later might make him band down that secret door and damn the consequences.

Yes, this felt like being dead.


End file.
